Chapter 14: Recapitulation and Conclusion Summary and Analysis

Up to this point, many facts and arguments have considered, and when combined they form a single argument in favor of the theory that the species descended from others and were modified by the process of natural selection.

Against this theory, many objections have been brought up. However, the theory must be accepted if one accepts a few other beliefs. The first belief is that there exist in nature degrees of perfection. For example, while some bees show an ability to build incredibly efficient and well-made hives, others show an ability to construct only very crude and inefficient hives. Other bees are somewhere in the middle. The second is that all organs and instincts show the ability to vary to some degree. The final belief is that all organisms are constantly engaged in a struggle...